Nen
Nen(念) is one of the defining features of Yoshihiro Togashi's manga Hunter × Hunter. It is an energy created within the body (like chi) that can be deployed and manipulated in a variety of ways by a skilled user. Within the series, this energy is referred to as one's aura. The term "Nen" itself can refer to both the energy itself and the skill of using it. =Properties of Nen= Creation Nen is an energy produced by all living bodies, it is considered a vital energy that results from simply being alive. If one were to lose all their nen, it would be equivalent to using up all the energy that is keeping them alive, which would be fatal. The nen from all parts of the body has a tendency to flow together, producing one 'mass' of energy. This happens without the individual's awareness, and will simply leak out of their body slowly. The pores or points on the body where nen flows out from are called aura nodes. Controlling and seeing A nen user trains to manually open and close their aura nodes so that they can control the flow of nen. One can learn this process gradually, learning to control the aura nodes through meditation, or they can receive an influx of nen from an experienced user that forces these nodes open, forcing the new user to learn to control the flow or risk severe exhaustion and/or death. The second method is generally frowned upon as it very dangerous (although far quicker). Once one has opened their aura nodes, they will be able to see nen as an 'aura' that surrounds the body (this is because the nodes in their eyes are opened). It has also been hinted in the manga that some people are able to 'discover' and learn to manipulate their nen on their own, without any teaching or guidance from another nen-user. What affects Nen Although the production of nen is unconscious and constant by all living beings, it is more than just 'leaky energy'. Nen carries with it the desires and emotions of the one who deploys it, which is what allows Nen to have incredible versatility to those who develop their skill at using it. Nen is also heavily influenced by mental condition and state. A basic application of this phenomenon is that one can channel their aggression or hatred into their nen and deploy it towards another person. The other person will then be able to feel that aggression as if it were physically palpable, and if unable to keep it from their own body by deploying their own nen, may be physically harmed by it. Conscious strengthening of Nen Nen responds to the goals and strengths of the desire of its user. As a result, a user can make a commitment that results in an increase in their abilities. If a user, for example, damages their own body in such a way that an individual skill seems more imposing when used, their nen will become correspondingly more powerful. It is also possible to increase the strength of an individual skill by imposing limits on it. For example, if a user consciously decides something along the lines of "I will only use this skill on Thursdays," or "I will only use this skill against short people," and manage to abide by the rule, that particular skill will become stronger. Theoretically, the more restrictive the condition, the greater the enhancement in power. It is also implied that restrictions which carry great meaning, or emotional value also bring about a greater benefit. Furthermore, restrictions which contain some sort of 'punishment' (i.e. "I will die should I break this rule") will strengthen the ability more. One example of this is the character Kurapika, who swore by death not to use one ability of his, called "chain jail", on anyone but a group known as the Phantom Troupe, more commonly known as the "spiders". Another example is Gon's battle against Neferpitou. Overwhelmed by Kaito's death, and Neferpitou's wish to kill him, Gon gives it everything he has, attaining power that would equal that of the Chimera Ant King. His body forcibly grew taller and more muscular, his hair becoming several meters long. According to Neferpitou, this state is reached by: (1) shortening his lifespan; (2) being prepared for the possibility of never being able to use nen again; and (3) sacrificing one's own innate talents. Gon kills Neferpitou with a single Jajanken. Sensing Nen When one has developed use of their nen, they become sensitive to the presence of other beings by their deployment of nen. Since every living being creates nen subconsciously, it is a useful skill for those tracking or hunting (both animate and inanimate things). It is also useful in combat, because one can judge the location and relative strength of opponents by the output of their nen. To counter this, techniques that minimize nen output like Zetsu or In are used. Geniuses Nen is like any other skill, in that there are those who will learn it faster than others. There are also individuals that can use facilities of nen without having any formal training. This can be anything from being able to use the basic techniques of nen without even realising it, or unconsciously developing a unique nen ability that can be used without the user really understanding how or why they are able to do so. =Basic Techniques= These are the most fundamental techniques of nen - everything else, including a nen-user's specialized skill, is really based on these most basic manipulations of nen-flow. These are the first skills that are taught to any nen-user. Often, for an experienced nen-user, these basic 'techniques' are second-nature. For example, a beginner must learn to use Ten, and concentrate to maintain it; where as an experienced nen-user will practically always be in a state of Ten, even when they are asleep. Ten (纏) Once a person has had their aura nodes opened, they must learn to keep their aura from leaking away from their body. Ten is the process of keeping the nodes open, but also having aura flow through and around the body rather than away from it. Having a shroud of aura surround the body is the most basic defense against the physical or emotional attacks of another Nen-user. Ten also may reduce one's aging; since the energy powering the body is no longer leaking away, one can keep the body from breaking down, thus slowing the aging process. Zetsu (絕) While Ten allows a user to keep aura from leaking away from their body, Zetsu stops the flow of aura from their body altogether. By closing all of their aura nodes, the user is able to stop almost all outflow of their aura. Because the user is no longer surrounded by their own aura, they can become more sensitive to the aura of others. This can be useful when tracking another person, and it will also prevent other users of Nen from noticing them. Zetsu can also be used to restore vitality, since Nen is fully contained within the body. However, since Zetsu involves shutting off one's aura, it can be dangerous since it leaves the body defenseless against any Nen attack. Even the weakest Nen could do massive damage. Ren (練) Ren is a direct application of Ten. Since a user is capable of keeping aura from leaking away from the body, it's also possible for them to have more aura around them without having to worry about losing it. Ren focuses on outputting a high amount of aura and keeping it on the body, expanding the size and intensity of it. This increases the user's physical strength and durability and provides a large pool of aura for any advanced techniques or individual skills they decide to use. Hatsu (發) Hatsu is the release of one's aura so it can be projected to carry out a certain function. In essence, the Hatsu is a special and unique ability that one creates. A good Hatsu should reflect a Nen-user's own character; one can never truly master Nen if they only copy other people's abilities. Hatsu has several different categories, and the Nen of each individual user is aligned with a specific category. Upon learning their affinity, a user can set about learning to apply Nen in a unique way that suits their personality, which can develop into a unique skill. A user may also have the ability to use more than one Nen ability, but they may never be able to change their Hatsu-type. For example, Gon's Hatsu is enhancement, but he is also capable of using emission and transmutation through his Jajanken technique. However, even though a user may be able to use more than one Hatsu, they can only be adequate at the Hatsu adjacent to his primary Hatsu. So although Gon can use emission and transmutation adequately, he will not be able to use manipulation or conjuration very well or at all. Although everyone's Hatsu is different and unique, Hatsu can be divided into five rough types and a sixth type for anything that does not fit into the five. The most popular way (and the only sure-way seen in the series) of determining one's Nen type is through water divination. The test requires a leaf floating in a glass of water. It consists of a student placing their hands around the glass and using Ren. The effect of their Ren determines the student's affinity. If the volume of the water changes, the user is an Enhancer. If the color of the water changes, the user is an Emitter. If the leaf moves, the user is a Manipulator. If an impurity appears in the water, the user is a Conjurer. If the taste of the water changes, the user is a Transmuter. If a completely different change appears, the user is a Specialist. According to Hisoka's theory, Enhancers are pure and simple. Manipulators are reasoners who advance at their own pace. Transmuters are liars and are unstable. Emitters are impatient and emotionally disturbed. Specialists are individualistic and charismatic. Conjurers are often nervous. =Types of Hatsu= 'Enhancement' (強化 Kyouka) If a student increases the quantity of water in the glass during their water divination, they are an Enhancer. Enhancement is basically the ability to use nen to increase the efficiency (strengthen) of an object or body. Therefore, Enhancers are able to greatly increase their physical attack and defense, and are best suited for close-melee combat. Enhancement is the most well-balanced category, allowing users to spread themselves evenly between offense and defense and become very strong using only simple abilities. Examples of more complex Enhancement abilities include enhancing a person's ability to repair themselves, which is basically the equivalent of a healing-ability. According to Hisoka, Enhancers are generally "simple" and "determined". Users in this category include Gon and Uvogin. Notable Enhancers include: *Gon Freecs *Uvogin *Phinks *Nobunaga *Maha Zoldyck (great grandfather of Killua) 'Emission' (放出''Houshutsu'') If a student changes the color of the water in the glass during their water divination, they are an Emitter. An affinity for Emission means that a user is capable of controlling the deployment of their aura while separating it from their body. Nen usually loses power very quickly when it is separated from the source-body, but strong Emitters can separate their aura from their body for long-periods of time and still be able to maintain it. An application of this is the ability to throw giant nen balls. Emission abilities are commonly mistaken for Conjuration abilities. The two, however, are fundamentally different. Objects created by Emitters are made of pure aura, believed to be invisible to normal people, and requires Manipulation skills to control. Hisoka claims that Emitters are "impatient" and "not detail-oriented." Notable Emitters include: *Franklin *Razor *Melody *Pokkle 'Manipulation' (操作 Sousa) If a student moves the leaf floating on the water in the glass during their water divination, they're a Manipulator. Manipulation is the ability to control other people or other non-living material. Abilities belonging to Manipulators tend to be more complex, and generally require certain conditions to be met before the user is able to control the target object. An example of a Manipulator is Shalnark, who can control people by placing a phone antenna on their body. Another Manipulator is Baise, who can control people by kissing them. According to Hisoka, Manipulators are logical people who advance at their own pace. Notable Manipulators include *Illumi Zoldyck *Shalnark *Kalluto Zoldyck *Zushi 'Conjuration' (具現化 Gugenka) If a student creates an object in the water in the glass during the their water divination, they are a Conjurer. Conjuration is the ability to create a physical, independent, material object out of nen. Once a nen-user has mastered the conjuration of a certain object, they can conjure it and dispel it in an instant, whenever they want. It is believed that conjuration is the only way in which nen can create things which ordinary people (who don't use nen) can see and touch. Conjured objects can have special abilities imbued into them. An example of this is Shizuku's ability - a conjured vacuum cleaner that can infinitely suck up objects, but with the condition that it can't suck up living things. Like Manipulation nen, conditions can be set into conjured objects to make them stronger. Kortopi, for example, is able to materialize a perfect copy of any non-living object that he touches. However, all of his materialized objects will automatically disappear after 24 hours. Like Manipulation, Conjuration abilities tend to be very specific, complex, and conditional. In terms of personality, Hisoka claims Conjurers are generally very "high-strung" people. Notable Conjurers include *Kite *Kurapika *Shizuku *Kortopi 'Transmutation' (変化 Henka) If a student changes the taste of the water in the glass during their water divination, they're a Transmuter. An affinity for transmutation means a user can change the properties of their nen, usually so that it mimics something else. Like emission, things created via transmutation are still pure nen. A simple way of thinking about it would be that transmutation allows your nen to mimic properties of a substance, whereas conjuration allows you to change your nen into actual material. Nen can copy properties of real things, for example, Killua uses his nen to copy the properties of electricity. Transmuters can also give their nen properties that don't necessarily mimic real things; Hisoka's "Bungee Gum" copies and combines the properties of rubber and gum. Transmuted substances are invisible to normal people (i.e. those who are not able to use nen). According to Hisoka, Transmuters are generally "whimsical liars". Notable Transmuters include; *Hisoka *Biscuit Krueger *Machi *Zeno Zoldyck *Silva Zoldyck *Killua Zoldyck 'Specialization' (特質 Tokushitsu) If a student causes some other effect during their water divination, they're a Specialist. It is possible that the effect that occurs can give some insight into how they should direct their ability. Specialization is anything that doesn't belong into the other five categories. This is the most vague Hatsu-category. For example, Kurapika's Specialization ability allows him to use all the five standard nen-types at 100% efficiency. Chrollo's Specialization ability is a combination of the other five types, but in a way that no normal nen-user can use. While Neon's Specialization ability is something that is simply unique, it has almost no relevance to any of the other five nen types. Specialists are said by Hisoka to be very "independent" and "charismatic". One should also note that it is possible to become a Specialist later in life, although this is more likely for Manipulators or Conjurers. Notable Specialists include *Chrollo Lucifer *Pakunoda *Knuckle Bine *Neferpitou *Kurapika (only in Emperor Time status) =Hatsu abilities= 'Using more than one nen type' A lot of nen abilities use more than one nen type. Common combinations include manipulation and emission (allowing user to manipulate objects from far away) and manipulation and conjuration (allowing users to manipulate objects they have conjured). 'Within human boundaries' No nen ability can be "beyond human boundaries." What this means is that you can't have an ability that is limitless. For example, you can't materialize a sword that can cut through anything. However, if you can set very strict conditions on it - then you can materialize a sword that can cut through anything given that the conditions are met. 'Conjuration/Emission/Transmutation' These three Hatsu types tend to cause a lot of confusion to some people. To put it in short, a conjured thing is solid and material, anyone, whether or not they can use nen can see it (Unless In is used to conceal it); a transmuted thing is pure nen which is copying properties of other things, whilst emitted nen is pure nen that can be kept distant from the user's body without losing strength. 'Neon' Neon Nostrade is a character in Hunter x Hunter who has a complicated Specialization Hatsu ability. For most nen-users, the Hatsu is the last step in their learning, after they have learnt all the other basic abilities. However, Neon shows no sign of having any knowledge, training, or awareness of nen; or being able to fight in any way. Some believe she must have been taught how to use nen because her Hatsu ability is too complex and developed. Others think she is a rare case of someone having an innate nen ability that they discover and use without any real understanding. =Advanced Techniques= These are the more advanced techniques. Most of them are achieved by using a combination of the basic techniques. Most nen users learn Ten, Zetsu and Ren first before attempting these techniques. The Hatsu, being a nen-user's individual 'skill', is often something that a nen-user will develop gradually over a long period of time. Shū (周) Shū is the advanced form of Ten. Shū allows a Nen-user to extend their aura to an object, allowing them to "use" that object as if it were an extension of their own body. For example, one could use Shū to extend their Ten around an object (and not just their body), which would strengthen and protect the object like the way Ren strengthens and protects the body. This is the technique that allows Hisoka to make his solitaire cards as sharp and as hard as metal knives. En (圓) En is an advanced application of Ren and Ten. In Ren, aura usually envelops only a small amount of space around the user's body. En is when one extends their Ren so that their aura extends further than normal, then uses Ten at the same time to give shape to the aura, usually a sphere. Someone using En can feel the shape and movement of anything entering their En-covered area. The downside to this is that it is extremely tiring and draining for the nen-user to constantly deploy so much aura. Those who master En are typically able to extend their En to a circle of 50m radius. There are exceptions -Zeno Zoldyck, one of the most powerful assassins alive, is able to extend his En to a radius of 300m. Also, the chimera ant Neferpitou, has an irregularly shaped En and can extend a tendril of it up to two miles away. Ken (堅) Ken is the advanced version of the the basic Ren technique. Ken is a defensive technique where a Nen-user maintains a state of Ren over their entire body, allowing them to defend against attacks from any direction without the need to use Gyō (described below). Ken is as useful as a defensive position, but is tiring to maintain. Additionally, it is not as strong as Gyō on any given part of the body, since it protects the whole body evenly. Because of that, it is used to guard when one wants to be cautious. In (隱) In is an advanced form of Zetsu that can almost completely hide a Nen-user. In can also be used on a Nen-user's Hatsu ability (more information on why some Hatsu abilities are visible can be found in the Hatsu category section) to make it invisible to other nen users. In can be countered by using Gyō on the eyes, or by using the technique En. Gyō (凝) Gyō is a technique where a Nen-user concentrates a larger than normal portion of their aura into one specific body part. This ability to concentrate the aura is known as Gyō. Gyō increases the strength of that one body part, but leaves the rest of your body more vulnerable. Kō (硬) Kō is the strong form of Gyō, where all of an individual's Nen-energy is concentrated into one particular body part. Zetsu is used to completely stop the flow of Nen in all other parts of the body. This makes that one body part exceptionally powerful, but leaves the rest of the body completely unprotected. This is used by some Nen-users as an offensive technique (a Kō-punch would carry all 100% of your Nen-power with it), but it is a risky move (leaving the rest of your body unprotected in a fight against another Nen-user is not generally a good idea). Ryū (流) Ryū ("flow") is the term for real-time use of Gyō (adjustment of aura concentration in various body parts) by a Nen-user in battle. For example, the use of Gyō to increase the amount of Nen in a fist as one strikes with it, to increase damage done; or to increase the amount of Nen in an arm as it is used to block a blow, for extra defense.